Click here to visit the new home of Blackvoices!

HOT ON HUFFPOST BLACKVOICES:

 

Categories

Contributors

Other BV Blogs

UN Launches Anti-Rape Campaign in Haiti

By Paul Shepard on Sep 14th 2010 4:51PM
Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights

Comments (7)

UN Launches Anti-Rape Campaign in Haiti

The United Nations is starting a campaign in Haiti to stop the spread of rape in camps set up for earthquake victims.

UN peacekeepers will receive training in how to combat rape and other sexual violence that has developed in the camps. A public relations campaign is also being started to teach people how to prevent and respond to rape, said Edmund Mulet, who heads the UN project in Haiti.

I suppose that anything that can be done to prevent even one sexual attack is worth it, but part of me wonders if a PR campaign will ultimately do as much to reduce rapes in settlement camps as increased security and stiffer penalties.

I don't know how the mind of a rapist works, but for some reason, I doubt that a PR campaign would do much to stop that violent crime.

To my way of thinking, the best deterrent would be knowing that if I even dreamed of putting my hands on a woman, a security force member will be there to send me to prison for a long time.

More than 250,000 Haitians were killed in the January quake and another 1.3 million displaced.

Sex attacks at Haitian settlement camps patrolled by UN peacekeepers have been a major concern, and I know that asking the undermanned UN forces to be the police department for all of the sprawling camps in the country may be an impossible task.

One final point, though: Rape is being used as a weapon of war in the Congo. How about a special campaign on rape for the Congo as well?

　

　



Comments: (6)

Add a comment

Page 1 of 1

Add a Comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password."

Most Commented Articles

Daily Drama

The Best Clips From TV's Hottest Shows

More Daily Drama >>

Find a Message Board

Discover conversations on everyone from Barack to Beyonce. There are nearly 50 forums, so click on a category below and find the right one for you.